MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Hundreds of hostages, mostly children and women, who were held captive for months or years by Boko Haram extremists in northeastern Nigeria have been rescued from a forest enclave and handed over to authorities, the army said.
The 350 hostages had been held in the Sambisa Forest, a hideout for the extremist group which launched an insurgency in 2009, Maj. Gen. Ken Chigbu, a senior Nigerian army officer, said late Monday while presenting them to authorities in Borno, where the forest is.
The 209 children, 135 women and six men appeared exhausted in their worn-out clothes. Some of the girls had babies believed to have been born from forced marriages, as is often the case with female victims who are either raped or forced to marry the militants while in captivity.
One of the hostages had seven children and spoke of how she and others couldn’t escape because of their children.
Ecuador: Fire department honors five rescue dogs during retirement
China news: Mystery as Xi Jinping unexpectedly skips key speech
China economy update: Evergrande shares plunge 70 per cent
Chinese state media demands British Museum return 23,000 cultural relics
Spain withdraws its ambassador to Argentina over comments made by President Milei
Russia sentences Pussy Riot activist to six years in absentia for Ukraine "war fakes"
Russia hits vast dam in war's largest strike on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Kyiv says
Japanese PM to US lawmakers: US does not have to confront global challenges alone
Russian general who criticized equipment shortages in Ukraine is arrested on bribery charges
Pope skips Good Friday procession 'to preserve his health'
New York's high court upholds requiring insurance to cover medically necessary abortions
Ukraine's Zelensky warns of dwindling air defence missiles